Although many patients may be unaware, others with young children are realizing that certain types of primary care doctors can treat an entire family.

Sharp Rees-Stealy patients Katie Slayton and her mother, Kathleen Moore, have chosen the same doctor for their family and say there are advantages. Slayton, her 6-month-old son, Ian, and Moore are all patients of Dr. Rebecca Preziosi, a double-board certified internal medicine and pediatrics doctor with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group.

Slayton says that having one doctor who provides care for the whole family allows the doctor to better anticipate health issues that might run in the family. “I like having a doctor who has a family history that spans generations,” she says.

Both internal medicine/pediatrics doctors (IM/Peds), like Dr. Preziosi, and family medicine doctors are board-certified —meaning they have completed additional training beyond the requirements for a basic medical license — and are trained to treat infants to the very elderly. Internal medicine doctors, who are typically board certified, specialize in caring for adult patients from 18 years of age to the very elderly. In order to maintain board certification, a doctor must actively keep up his or her knowledge of the latest medical advances in his or her specialty.

“As with all primary care specialists, family medicine, internal medicine and IM/Peds doctors are able to help you manage every aspect of your health and wellness, and diagnose and treat health conditions and diseases,” says Dr. Preziosi. “Just as importantly, they will ensure you receive the right type of care when you need it by working closely with you to provide referrals to specialists.”

Together as a family, Slayton and Moore have taken little Ian to his visits with Dr. Preziosi. “Sometimes it’s better to do it this way if we both have questions,” says Slayton.

Moore adds, “I felt comfortable asking questions as I was not an extra in the group. I was part of the whole.”

Moore says the concept of the family doctor has faded over the last 50 years. “It is nice to have it start to come back, as health is intertwined with emotion and family,” she says. “I trust Dr. Preziosi with my baby and her baby.”

To search for a primary care doctor who is accepting new patients and view each doctor’s profile, visit www.sharp.com/srs.